Dortmund prodigy Youssoufa Moukoko pondered quitting over age claims | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund starlet Youssoufa Moukoko has opened up about the downside of his rapid rise to the top.

The 16-year-old, who doesn’t turn 17 until November, came to prominence last season as he broke records galore shortly after his birthday.

In quick succession the striker became the youngest player and goalscorer in Bundesliga history, as well as the youngest player to feature in a Champions League game.

However, due to his upbringing in Cameroon, some questioned the legitimacy of his achievements by suggesting he is older than official documents prove him to be.

“At the beginning, the reports were very stressful for me,” Moukoko revealed to German newspaper WAZ.

“I didn’t want to do that to myself anymore. I wanted to quit.”

However the coaching staff at BVB – most notably Sebastian Geppert – encouraged the Germany U-20 international not to give the racists the satisfaction.

“At some point I got along with the attention, I was able to forget everything on the pitch,” Moukoko said.

Moukoko also confirmed that he has been subjected to significant abuse on social media, and lamented the ability go about his daily life without being recognised.